Cold
by BeatriceParadisio
Summary: Vulpes always felt like a man apart in a world full of degenerates, serving his master to bring order and honor to the wastelands. Eris was on a path to vengeance when she took a job as a courier, turning her down a path of political intrigue she had no interest in. Yet when their paths cross, each finds something they weren't expecting in the Mojave wastes.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Reposting this. I didn't like the draft I had up although this only has a few minor changes. This is basically a quick Vulpes/Courier pairing but will definitely be a little different than many of those on this site already.

Please let me know what you think with a review. I always appreciate the feedback. I took some liberties with dialogue in this first chapter and will do that throughout. Its really only going to focus on the Legion and will probably be fairly short. But again, review, review, review!

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**1**

The smell of burning rubber bit as his nostrils as he emotionlessly looked out over the smoke-filled town. Nipton had been weak, like most profligate settlements, and corrupted by all the poisonous influences of those outside of Caesar's authority. It had been a pleasure to corral the settlers of the town, handing them the small slips of paper they desperately hoped would save them. In reality, only the slaves were saved. They would at least be under the influence of Caesar, their children having the opportunity to be made into warriors.

"Sir, we are ready to continue," one of the small unit of legionaries said. "We surveyed the surrounding area and there aren't any outposts nearby."

"Shame," he answered, looking out over his masterpiece through his dark glasses. "The lottery winner isn't the sort that will survive long enough to speak of what we have done here."

"Should I give the orders to proceed west, Sir?"

He closed his eyes, forcing the young soldier to wait patiently. It was so common in the younger warriors to lack the patience that often would bring about the greatest rewards, but that was partially why Caesar had ordered that the majority of his unit to be fresh soldiers. There was no better way to show them how the Legion functioned than to make them obey orders during the chaos judgment.

"Sir! Someone is coming," the young man said suddenly, his voice holding all the uncertainty of the inexperienced.

Sighing, Vulpes slowly opened his eyes and watched the graceful form of a woman slink into the town. He watched her as she approached the pile of burning tires, the charred remains of the town's mayor adding the smell of cooked meat to the banquet of scents. She seemed to watch the flames for a few moments, her body not reacting with the expected weaknesses of females, such as fainting at a horrific sight or fleeing in fear. Instead she remained perfectly still, her arms hanging at her side as if the smell of blood, fire, and death had little impact on her.

"Let the woman approach me," he said to the waiting legionary while keeping his eyes locked to the strange addition to the town. She didn't move like a chem-addicted raider or the overly cautious caravan driver. Even more odd, she didn't react like a mercenary or scavenger to the destroyed town, her steps keeping her on the road rather than immediately searching the houses for valuables. It roused his curiosity on exactly who the darkly clad woman was.

Her stance didn't change as she made her way down the street lined with crucifixes, the moans of a few that hadn't slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness serenading her confident steps to the town hall. She didn't even seem to hesitate at the numerous soldiers all wearing Legion red that stopped to watch her approach him.

He watched her dirty face as her grey eyes took in what was happening around her, confusion causing her brow to come together under the wisps of pale hair that had escaped from its binding. "Don't worry," he started, keeping his own curiosity from his voice as he looked down at her from his step. "I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates. It's useful that you've happened by."

She continued to stare at him, her eyes slowly moving from the coyote he wore when doing the less delicate work of his leader, to his red and brown armor made in the image of the old Roman Empire. He could tell that she was calculating her options as she glanced from his waist to the waists of his companions in search of weapons.

"Who exactly are you?"

Her question was not what he expected, leaving him to wonder if she meant him personally or the group as a whole. Deciding to answer both as simply as possible, he motioned towards the red flag with the bull insignia. "I am just a face of Caesar's Legion."

"And what do you want?"

"I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here, especially any NCR troops you run across."

She silently considered his words, her eyes never leaving his as her face subtly changed from curiosity to thoughtfulness to acceptance. "What are the lessons?"

"Where to begin? That they are weak and we are strong? This much is already known. No, the true lesson is that the depths of their moral sickness and their dissolution is what I want you to teach. Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself…the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores who sold themselves for a pittance."

"And everyone was judged?"

"Yes. Their foremost sin was disloyalty. None would fight or speak for those they even claimed to love, watching them as they were dragged away to be killed. All the while they remained silent, clutching their lottery ticket with the hopes that they would survive. They stood and watched as their fellows were butchered, crucified, and burned, one by one. Each only cared for themselves."

His words seemed to stir something in her as her jaw clenched slightly in determination. "I will do this for you."

"Then I bid you _vale_. Until our paths meet again," he answered, motioning for his men to make their way to their nearby raiding camp. The woman remained where she stood, her eyes following him even as he turned his back.

There was something different about the woman, but he didn't waste time thinking about it as he led his men across the dusty wastes. She was, after all, nothing more than a female who was lucky to serve a purpose. He didn't doubt that she would do as he asked, ensuring that the weak profligate who had escaped judgment with his life wouldn't be the only voice speaking about the Legion's strength.

It was the first part in a series of campaigns meant to strike fear into the hearts of the NCR. Once uncertainty and terror took root, it would spread like a disease. Soon the Legion's enemy would find less and less recruits while more established soldiers would desert rather than face the fate of Nipton. It would help to ensure that their push west would cripple their enemies.

Yet, all of this hung on the tale of what happened in Nipton spreading across the Mojave. He had little faith in the male doing this work to the extent necessary before his pathetic existence was wiped out, but the female may prove to be what he needed. She seemed stronger than the male and would likely survive to do what was necessary.

Smiling, he enjoyed the contradiction his plan had created. He not only relied on a profligate, but he had more trust in a woman of all things then a man. Still, using the weaknesses of his enemy to undermine the NCR seemed fitting. Perhaps he would mention his use of her to Caesar when he returned to camp. If she did her work favorably, she would be a good example for the other whores they enslaved once they controlled the Mojave. At the very least, it was something to think on.

* * *

Eris remained in Nipton long after the legionnaires had left. This was far from what she expected to find in the town, but after hearing what the dog-clad man had said she couldn't say that she felt sorry about their fate. They had turned their backs on those that they had claimed to love and let them die. It had stirred up old memories that she thought had died a long time ago, but as she sat there staring at the black plumes of smoke she could hear the screams of her past that had brought her to the Mojave to begin with.

"Enough," she growled to herself as her chest began to tighten. "No more. Focus on your goal and forget the rest."

The pep talk didn't do much to fully push away the unwanted memories, but it was enough to get her moving again. Setting out, she kept her gun in hand as she moved up the road where she knew a little NCR camp was set up. She hadn't many dealings with the so-called law in the Mojave, but she assumed they weren't much better than the Enclave and the stupid politics they used in a world that was ruled by strength and power.

_And I have strength,_ she thought darkly her mind flashing to a different face that had pointed a gun to her head years ago. But that was a score that had yet to be settled.

She was pulled from her thoughts only a few miles up the road as the uncomfortable feeling of being watched settled over her skin. Cheng had always told her to trust her instincts and it was a lesson she took to heart as she slowly pulled back the hammer of her handgun, letting the little click be silenced by her footsteps.

"Who's there?" she yelled, whipping around to see a man in a blue coat running towards her. Perhaps he was just a traveler, making his way down the road just like she was, but her gut told her different. Squinting at the man, she kept her gun ready as he gave her an elated wave.

"Only the luckiest man in the world!" the man called to her, his huge grin only growing. "I'm so lucky I just can't contain it!"

She could smell the whisky on him once he reached her, his outfit marking him as the annoying group of ex-convicts that had been hanging around Goodsprings. "You a Powder Ganger?"

"What? Oh, well, I was, but not anymore! Who needs them when I could be king of New Vegas. With my luck I can't lose!"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her eyes watching for sign of attack.

"I won the lottery!"

"The what?"

"The lottery!" he shouted again, completely oblivious to her reaction. She stared at him in disgust, realizing that this piece of _filth_ was the sole survivor of Nipton.

Gripping her gun tighter, she gave the man a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Lucks run out, I'm afraid."

"What? What do you mean? I won the lottery! Nothing can stand in my –"

The echo of her gun covered anything he might have said in protest when she lifted the barrel to his forehead. If he even had time to process what was happening before she squeezed the trigger, the smell of gunpowder floating around her as pieces of his skull flew through the air. Slowly, she used her hand to wipe the blood and brain from her face before turning and continuing up the road. "Bastard."


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

Three weeks had passed since he had cleansed Nipton, leaving word of what happened in the hands of two profligates. He had, of course, each followed to see that they did their duty and was not surprised to hear that the man barely made it up the road before he met his end. What did surprise him were the reports that it was the woman who had killed him at point blank without so much as a warning. He had sensed that there was something different about her, but he had to admit he wasn't expecting _that_.

Still, she had faithfully reported what she had seen at the nearby NCR base, her tale making them still jittery when he had passed through wearing his suit and tie. He could understand why, of course, if the descriptions provided by his men were true. He doubted that really anyone wouldn't be slightly unsettled if a blood soaked woman with pieces of viscera hanging from her hair approached them with a description of headless bodies and crucifixes.

It would have been a sight to see, but of course he had more important things to do than personally track the profligate. Instead, he used his inferiors' reports of her cold, unemotional report of his work, the way the blood seemed to make her eyes look pale and dead. It was not hard to imagine, especially after seeing how calm she had been in Nipton. He could picture that ranger woman called Ghost paling at her words, or the major cursing as he realized that they were doomed. From what his men had said, it was quite the show to watch.

Still, the ranger outpost was nearly two weeks behind him and the lights of New Vegas surrounded him instead of jumpy rangers and chem-addicted profligates. He hated the city and all that it represented, but it was where the NCR were headquartered, and more importantly, where the man known as Benny was said to be hiding with the Platinum Chip.

Caesar had been very explicit in his instructions regarding the Chip and the woman Mr. House seemed to be using for its retrieval. The Chip was to be in his possession and the woman dealt with in one form or another. If she seemed amenable to the Legion she was to be convinced to see Caesar and do the dangerous job of destroying the man's underground bunker. If not, she was to be disposed of and one of their own would complete the hazardous task. Vulpes knew that his master would prefer to save all of their troops for the upcoming battle, but there was little hope that a _woman_ working as courier would be able to do what was necessary.

Glancing up at the bright lights of Tops casino, he put on the face of a gambler, full of hope and hard times. No one would spare him a second glance. They never did as they focused on their money and alcohol, killing their bodies and minds. They would learn someday, when the Legion brought order and discipline to the Mojave.

* * *

Eris had spent three weeks pushing through broken down streets to get to New Vegas. She had spilt a fair amount of blood to get the information she needed, but that didn't matter. Anyone who cared to look out for the man that shot her deserved what they had coming. Some, like Doc Mitchell, might call that hostile and cold, but she called it survival. She didn't buy the bullshit that the bullet had damaged her frontal lobe, forever changing her personality.

"Phineas Gage my ass," she muttered, feeling not the least bit different than she had prior to the incident. She had, after all, been in the Mojave to seek revenge. Benny was just a better substitute for the man she had spent years searching for. _And Benny can't hide like the Enclave._

Smiling up at the Tops casino, she knew she had finally arrived at one problem she could solve. Benny was a coward. He had proven that when he had ambushed her and then shot her at point blank while she was completely bound. He wouldn't face her if he knew he could lose so she would play at his game. She would use his weaknesses against him, just as Cheng had taught her. He might not be Enclave, but he would die like all the other bastards she had put down.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So I'm writing this fairly fast. Forgive anything I miss on proof reading.

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**3**

Vulpes barely recognized the woman. She wore a slinky black dress that exposed her long, muscular leg. Her hair was clean and pulled up so that it fell in a long thick rope down her toned back. Even her grey eyes seemed to spark with life, the dark lining making them pop.

She glanced around the casino, her gaze meeting his for a moment but without a sign of recognition as she moved deeper into the gambling rooms. Something deep in his gut stirred as he watched her long legs strut from the room, her hips swaying so that he couldn't help but stare at her firm rear.

Grabbing his untouched drink, he rose and began to casually follow her. He wasn't sure what he hoped to gain from it, but as he watched her lean, muscular body move around the card tables with a grace he had only seen in a very few women he couldn't help but stare. It made the turning of his stomach increase while a cold rush moved even lower. It was a sensation he hadn't felt since his youth when he had taken his first slave, leaving him slightly perplexed at the reaction.

"Well hellooo, gorgeous," came the dripping tones of Benny. He watched as the man sauntered over to the woman, his hands immediately finding her hips. "Now what do we have here?"

The woman gave him a large smile, her eyes lighting up as his head moved closer to hers. Vulpes watched in disbelief as she put her hand on his chest and whispered something, her hand drifting lower while Benny's grin grew larger. _Profligate whore,_ he thought as he watched the disgusting display. He wanted to tear his eyes away, but couldn't as she continued to smile at the checker-coated man, her hand playing with the neckline of her dress while the other toyed with his hair.

Setting his glass down, he was about to walk away when he saw the glint of metal in her hand. Time seemed to slow as she brought it to Benny's throat and made a wide sweeping motion that sent a spray of scarlet from the thin flesh. One of the guards shouted as the Tops manager slumped to the ground, pulling his gun and firing wildly at the blood-soaked woman that charged him. It was only a second before the other guards followed suit, but the woman moved faster, her hand grabbing one of her assailants and using her momentum to force him in front of her. Vulpes felt his mouth drop as the guard took his comrades' bullets, the woman slashing his throat before grabbing the gun he dropped and darting behind one of the card tables.

She didn't hesitate as she aimed and fired off a round that struck one of the guards in the middle of his forehead. She lined up another shot just as the elevators chimed and three more men came charging towards her. Vulpes ignored the shouts for him to flee as she expertly lined up shot after shot, striking down the guards before they even could cock their guns.

His heart beat quicker as the men started to scream for back-up, the guards rushing in from other areas of the casino like flies to rotten flesh. She was easily outnumbered, but it didn't seem like it mattered to her. Instead she kept shooting, dropping each empty gun only to dart to another corpse to keep up her rampage. It made his hand itch to join in the carnage, to slice through the dirty flesh of the profligates. Feeling the urge overwhelm him, he reached for his concealed knife and rushed towards one of the burly men, sinking his blade deep into his chest before the guards even realized that he was even there.

A smile filled his lips at the screams that followed. Men began to move towards him, their guns stretched out and firing at random. There was no discipline or order, only wild shots that couldn't seem to find his body as he continued his attack. From the corner of his eye he saw the woman turn from the group of guards that was now focused on him and quickly dispatch those that were rushing in from the front of the casino.

"Degenerates," Vulpes growled as four guards raised their guns at him, their curses fading into screams as his training took over his body. He spun forward, his knife finding the abdomen of one man while his elbow smashed into the face of another. Pulling his blade free, he rushed towards the third man his mind barely noticing the burning pain of a bullet grazing him. He instinctually grabbed the man's wrist and yanked it around, a sickening snap causing him to drop the gun while the his knife cut through his throat. Moving to the last guard, he raised his bloody weapon when a shot rang out and the man feel into a heap on the ground, dead. Silence fell over the casino, the patrons having fled at the first sign of violence.

Turning, he stared at the woman. Her pale hair was stained scarlet with Benny's blood, matching the spatters on her face and chest. Her dress sagged heavily with the weight of his blood, exposing more of the rounded flesh of her chest. "Thank you," she said simply, her hand clutching something tightly.

Vulpes nodded. "Any particular reason for this?"

"He robbed me, shot me in the head, and buried me alive."

"You're the courier?"

"I'm a courier, yes, and you're the man from Nipton."

"Very observant," he answered as he moved to the dead casino manager's body.

"Why are you here?"

Vulpes didn't answer, his hands moving meticulously over the man's clothes and through his pockets. "Where is it?"

"What are you looking for?"

He turned, eyeing the woman in frustration. He could expect no better from a profligate. She did not have the benefit of Caesar's instruction to learn the manners proper of a woman, deadly or not. Still, he was in no mood to play the gambler today, forcing him to be bound to the impertinent questioning of a female.

She seemed to understand his look and fell silent. _Perhaps she's not as hopeless as the others, _he thought blandly as he stood and took in the blood-splattered walls. The casino was big and would take some time to search for a safe or other hiding spot Benny may have used to hide the chip.

Sighing, he slowly went through all that he knew of the casino manager. He was overly confident and opportunistic, like a fungus. He would cling to anyone who was more powerful than he was, feeding off his host's scraps until he found something better. There was no honor in a man that would so easily betray someone he had sworn to serve, but that was not surprising. Benny was, after all, a indiscreet, insignificant fool to think that he would ever get away with what he was planning without anyone taking notice.

_If the fool isn't carrying the chip on him, he most likely is keeping it in his personal quarters,_ Vulpes thought, giving the man's corpse a disappointed look before heading to the elevators.

"It's not there," the woman called out. Her voice direct and strong unlike so many of the frightened, quivering pleads he normally heard from the females of the Mojave. It also differed from the foolish defiance the NCR whores gave him during interrogations. It was that more than anything else that made him turn and acknowledge that she had even spoken.

"What are you talking about?"

She moved closer to him, her stride still graceful but losing the overly sexual sway that she had employed only minutes earlier. Instead she moved like a warrior that was approaching an unknown; confident yet cautious. "I know enough of your kind that you wouldn't be in a casino. You're looking for something and it wasn't on Benny."

"Observant," he answered, watching her face for signs of her motives. Yet she disappointed him again by keeping a mask of indifference over her angular features. It was one that, if on a man on the Legion, would mark him as a candidate for the Frumentarii.

"You helped me when you had no reason, leaving me in your debt. I always pay my debts."

"And what makes you think you know what I want?"

"Why wouldn't your Caesar want the same thing Mr. House wants?"

Vulpes felt a small smile pull on the corners of his lips. "It's rare to find a profligate that has the ability to reason."

"If you are after what Benny stole, I have it."

"It's not wise to play your hand so quickly," he answered, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice.

"What do I care about a chip? Or the money Mr. House wants to pay me? I didn't take this job for that. I have a debt to you and if that's what you want it's yours."

Looking at the smooth casino chip she held out in her hand, he felt his expectations of his mission suddenly felt completely unfounded. This courier was not a typical woman of the wastes. That much was sure and it made him hesitant to dispose of her as he originally intended to do once he found House's courier. "Caesar would be interested in meeting you. Carry the chip to him personally and consider your debt paid."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: short chapter. Thanks for the review OriyaMuraki. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint.

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**4**

They left New Vegas in silence, the Legionary clearly anxious to be moving and she had no reason to object. She got what she wanted from the city, leaving her only with the debt she owed her long dead mentor. She doubted the detour to see this man fashioned out of Roman history would affect her ability to exact her revenge on the Enclave bastard that had killed Cheng, so she willing agreed to accompany the stoic hooded man from Nipton.

It was nearly a full day of walking before the man slowed his pace and looked at her. He was definitely different than most men he she had ever interacted with. There were no long looks at her chest or suggestive smiles. Instead he met her eyes and spoke directly without innuendo. It was refreshing.

"We should make camp," he finally said, pointing to a rocky area that would provide good cover.

She nodded and followed him to the spot, quickly unrolling a threadbare blanket and setting out some cram.

"Do you really eat that toxic garbage?" he asked as he sparked a small fire.

"There was no other type of food in the east than this," she said, scooping up a mouthful of the disgusting glop. "Other than from killing things. So I didn't have the luxury to eat fresh food like you can here."

"You're from the east? I didn't think you remembered your past. Or at least that's what others have said." She could feel the intensity of his eyes on her. When others asked her about her memories or abilities after being shot it was more to add to their town gossip once she left. Yet that was not the soldier's motive. She could tell by the tone of his voice and the way he stared at her waiting for an answer.

"It's in my favor to let people think that," she answered slowly. "Having them think you're weak can be a powerful advantage

"So you didn't lose your memory from being shot?"

"It amazes me how little people know about the human brain. If those bullets actually went through my skull into my brain I would have some major physical signs. But as you can see my face isn't drooping, I can speak, I have control of my functions…I trust someone that is so intimately involved in death, though, must have guessed all of this, though."

"How deep did the bullets go?"

"They passed all the way through, but his angle was wrong. Even though the bullets entered the top of my head they exited above my ear. They missed the brain completely, grazing the skull."

The man gave her a long hard look from over the fire, the light making his light eyes look like burning ice. It was the first time she really noticed his eyes, realizing that she had done little to appreciate his appearance now that he was free of the animal pelt and dark goggles. The intensity he held in his gaze reminded her of Cheng and the way he would look at her in her youth, scrutinizing every training exercise like marksman examining a new rifle. Not many could boost to have such a determined, sharp eye, nor could they boast to have it so young. Cheng had been ancient before she had even been born, yet this legionary couldn't be much older than thirty, maybe thirty-five.

Meeting his gaze, she attempted to see some of his history there. Cheng had always said a man's soul could be read in one look, allowing an enemy knowledge of his weaknesses. The legionary, though, showed nothing. At least, nothing that he didn't want her to see. _He has been trained well, _she thought, smother the smile that fought to move her lips.

"Where in the east are you from?"

"Further than you've been," she answered, keeping her features neutral despite his narrowed eyes.

It was a moment before he spoke again, but when he did his voice had a chilly edge to it. "I see. Sleep now. We will move before dawn. I will take watch."

Normally she might question whether she would take a shift keeping watch, but she could see that he had no intention of sleeping with an unknown. She couldn't blame him since she felt the same. No matter how tired she felt or what her body needed, she had learned early on to never trust anyone. Not friends, family, or allies. In the end, they would all become an enemy if you had something they wanted. And the Legion? Well they clearly wanted something.

* * *

Vulpes could tell she wasn't sleeping, but he had to admit that if he hadn't watched her carefully he would have been fooled. It was obvious that this woman was not a regular resident of the Mojave. She wasn't even a normal specimen of her sex, failing to show any of the emotional weaknesses he had anticipated to see. Not once had she attempted to strike up conversation with him during their travels, nor did she express any sort of opinion over what she had seen in Nipton. It was a rare woman that kept her opinions unspoken, leaving the beautiful silence of the desert intact.

He again felt that stirring in his gut as he thought of the way her grey eyes met his, strong and unafraid making him wonder what she had seen in her life that made him not be an intimidating threat. _She has secrets,_ he thought, his hand mindlessly feeling the sharp edge of his machete.

It was unusual for a woman to keep things hidden, in his experience, whether it brought forth by soft words and innuendos or hard looks and pain. She had given him a taste, true enough, but it was nothing he had not already figured out for himself. Her accent was something he heard in the lands the Legion occupied or NCR territory, nor was her style of fighting something that he had seen before. It marked her as an outsider to their little part of post-apocalypse hell almost as much as her cold stare marked her as an outsider amongst women.

Then there was the gunshot wound that so many had claimed took the courier's memory, leaving only revenge in its place. She was right to assume that he didn't believe those rumors. He had seen enough traumatic injuries to know what a brain injury looked like, making him believe her when she said that the bullets passed harmlessly through the small space between the brain in the skull. It was a lucky shot for her, and Caesar, making this whole business of the chip and Mr. House come together in a strange and unpredictable way. Even though it meant that a woman could potentially have an affect on the Legions chances of destroying the NCR, he was somewhat happy at not having to infiltrate House's fortress of a casino.

_It's a shame she's a woman,_ he thought briefly as the woman shifted, her muscles flexing in the flickering light of the fire. She had some level of discipline and skill that was rarely found in the mercenaries of the desert. Although in ways it made Caesar's plans easier to complete, he wasn't sure he trusted that she would be easy to control as others might be.

_All in time,_ the thought, kicking some sand of the fire to dim it. She would play her part and her fate would be determined soon. And by Mars, he would be ready for it.


End file.
